Consoles are used in a variety of different applications, including in control rooms, on trading floors, and in operations centers. Consoles are typically used in the place of generic office equipment. Consoles may provide an enhanced human machine interface by allowing for the positioning of equipment in the more useful and efficient positions. Furthermore, consoles may be adapted to support more equipment compared to generic office equipment.
In addition, many traditional consoles struggle with changing user needs. Many existing technical furniture and consoles are custom manufactured, which in terms of design and construction is often both expensive and time consuming. This approach is usually necessitated by customer requirements that are often unique in terms of work station size, equipment placement, human engineering and cost considerations. In the result, the completed console structures are not only very expensive, but are usually also very difficult to subsequently modify for the reconfiguration of existing equipment or to retrofit new equipment.
Furthermore, many existing systems do not provide a low-cost solution that allows for a high degree of customization in terms of size, shape and layout of the consoles. In many instances, end users desire a console having custom physical dimensions and features. For example, a user may desire a console that is customized to fit a particular room layout. The room could have a curved or sloped wall, one or more support pillars, a multi-level floor, etc. In another example, a user may desire that the configuration of the console be tailored for a specific application, or to hold and support specific equipment. Many existing furniture systems and console systems come in one or a number of standard sizes and shapes in an attempt to provide a “best fit”. However, such systems are generally not easily customizable in terms of size, shape or configuration.